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China Concludes First Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon in Beijing

Tiangong Ultra leads robot participants with a 2:40 finish, showcasing China's push for robotics innovation despite significant performance gaps with human runners.

Tiangong Ultra, a humanoid robot, runs across the finish line while securing the first position during the E-Town Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, in Beijing, China, on April, 19 2025.
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Robots take part in what is billed as the world's first robot half marathon during the Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon held in Beijing, China, on April 19, 2025.
One of the robots waves to the crowd. Photo: Xinhua

Overview

  • The inaugural humanoid robot half-marathon in Beijing saw 21 robots race alongside human runners over a 21-kilometer course in the Yizhuang district.
  • Tiangong Ultra, developed by the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, was the fastest robot, finishing in 2 hours and 40 minutes, compared to the human winner's 1 hour and 2 minutes.
  • Participating robots required human assistance during the race, with engineers providing physical support and performing battery swaps, incurring 10-minute penalties for each replacement.
  • The event, part of Beijing E-Town's $686 million AI and robotics initiative, highlighted hardware endurance over AI sophistication, with experts noting limited advancements in autonomous intelligence.
  • While some robots completed the race, others struggled with falls, overheating, and technical failures, emphasizing the current limitations of humanoid robotics in real-world applications.